“We should be home by one, but if we're longer, I'll call you.”
“Have fun and keep our girls safe.”
He shook Mr. Wright's hand. “You have my word.”
Once we were seated in the spacious limo, Bastian asked. “Are you ready?”
“More than ready.”
He fingered the diamonds in my ears. “As soon as Dr. Wright showed me these, I knew they were perfect for you.”
“You really have been busy.”
“To make your birthday special, absolutely.” There it was again, the feeling of belonging, and to think it was with this incredible guy who made me feel it.
***
The limo pulled up in front of a brownstone where gas lanterns lit the entrance and a discreet, but elegant sign revealed the place to be an art gallery. When I saw the name of the artist being featured, I felt excitement coursing through me.
David Cambre had been, in my opinion, the finest artist of our time—focused on sculpting work. I had always wanted to view his pieces more closely, but it was hard to get into his shows when he was alive. After his tragic death a few years ago, it was now impossible.
“How did you manage this?” I asked Bastian.
“I have friends who have friends and the Wrights insisted on helping,” was all he said.
“How did you know I loved David?”
“You've mentioned him a time or two and I confirmed with Ms. Whitney.”
I had no words, how well this boy knew me and in so short a time. He seemed to understand as he leaned forward to skim his lips over mine.
“Happy birthday, Lark.”
***
After the show we went to Per Se, a posh restaurant uptown from the gallery. Once our orders were placed, I leaned into Bastian close enough that our shoulders brushed. “This has been the best birthday, ever.”
His lips touched my temple and though he didn't say anything, his eyes were saying plenty.
“I have to say, David Cambre looked so much like you, it's no wonder why you adopted him as your wanna-be dad,” Poppy said as she reached for her glass.
It was true I had. It was kind of pathetic but for the lost and lonely kid I had been, the pretend connection had comforted me.
“Right? Especially with both of us being artists. When he died, I mourned for him like he was.”
“How did he die?” Sophia asked.
“His car went over a cliff in New England.”
“God, that's horrible—he really was amazing.”
As it often did when I thought of David, my heart ached. He had been so young, had so much still left to do, and for me that was a reminder to live each day as if it were your last. It was David's last and most profound lesson. How sad that I learned life's greatest lessons from a man who didn't even know he was teaching them to me.
Bastian, knowing me as well as he did, pulled me from my forlorn thoughts when he lifted his glass. “To Lark. Happy birthday.”
Staring into the faces of all those who meant the most to me, lingering a moment longer on understanding and warm teal eyes, yeah, it really was a happy birthday.
***
By the time we got back to the apartment after dropping everyone off at their homes, I was dead on my feet. I planned on spending most of Sunday sleeping. Bastian tipped the driver as I unlocked the door and made my way down the hall to the bedroom. I slipped my earrings out and placed them on the dresser, letting my hand rest on them a moment as love for the Wrights washed over me. I was just about to start pulling the pins from my hair when I felt Bastian's fingers already working on the task. He drew my hair back from my temples and buried his face in it.
“I love smelling my shampoo on you,” he whispered. His fingers reached for the back zipper of my dress and he kissed down my spine as a far more potent emotion washed over me. The delicate touch of his fingers, on the bare skin of my shoulders, caused those delicious chills as he peeled the dress down my arms so it fell in a wave of silk to my feet. Hungry was the word that came to mind as he devoured the sight of me, before he pinned me to him and kissed me: a hot, opened mouth kiss that had those knees going weak again. Slipping his jacket from him, I started on his tie, but I wasn't fast enough, because Bastian pulled away from me and in record time removed the rest of his clothes. I barely had time to see the beauty of him before he lifted me into his arms. Wrapping my legs around his waist, my mouth found his. He pressed me up against the wall and touched me, where I ached the most, the intimacy of the action was so new to me it caused both a shiver of self-consciousness and a healthy dose of lust. I didn't know where the condom came from, but Bastian expertly rolled it on. As he joined us, I gave myself over to the feeling of being filled by him and then he grabbed my ass and started to move. His lips on my neck, sucking the spot that gave me chills, added to the intensity of the storm raging through me. My stomach tightened and my breath caught seconds before the orgasm rippled through me. His mouth moved lower, his lips brushing over my shoulder, he was getting close. Cradling his face, I tilted his head and watched as his eyes glazed over just before he came. It was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. His forehead came to rest on mine. “Happy birthday.”
Chapter Ten
A few days after my birthday surprise, I was called into the guidance counselor's office. I had never been summoned to Mrs. Breslin’s office before so I was intrigued.
She gestured for me to take the seat across from her before she folded her hands and rested them in front of her on the desk. Her kind brown eyes regarded me.
“I've some bad news regarding the grant you were awarded.”
I felt my stomach drop with those words. Yes, I had the full academic scholarship, but I needed the grant money to help cover my living expenses. Without it I was going to have to take a job, which was something I hoped to avoid, because I wanted to focus all of my time on my art.
“I'm afraid the money that funded the grant was mismanaged and there simply isn't any money to give.”
Her stylish taupe suit blurred into blackness as my eyes misted. I really wasn't hearing her, because my mind had gone elsewhere. What were the odds that my grant money suddenly vanished? A thought occurred to me and as much as I tried to shut it down, it festered all the same. The Rosses. It had only been a week since Bastian and I moved in together and deep down there was a part of me that had been waiting for them to express their displeasure over our living arrangements. It seemed that Dom had been right to warn us.
“What will you do, Larkspur? You've missed the other grant deadlines. There's work study, and I can certainly help you through that process, but it's getting pretty late in the game.” Mrs. Breslin's concerned voice pulled me from my unpleasant revelation.
“I'll figure something out, but if I need your help, I won't hesitate to ask for it. Thank you for telling me.”
“It's appalling to award something and then take it away. It is inexcusable. I do intend to look into it.”
“I still have my full academic scholarship. The grant was for living expenses, but I'll get a part-time job, if needed.”
“If you need anything, my door is always open.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Breslin.”
After my meeting with my counselor, I was surprised to run into Bastian since his class this period was on the other side of the school. “What happened?” The anger in his voice made it clear he knew something was wrong.
“How do you know something happened?”
“I heard you were called to the guidance counselor's office, Lark. What happened?”
“The money for the grant I was awarded dried up, so I don't have money for my living expenses.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“Bastian.”
“It's my fucking parents, you know that, right?”
“I figured it out, yeah.”